A black sharecropper family picking cotton in the early 20th Century. Many emancipated former slaves became sharecroppers, including those who worked on cotton plantations in Walker County and across East Texas. Many left the rural farm setting for higher paying jobs offered by the rise of the oil, gas and forestry industries.

ID: 2770 | This file appears in: Changes in the Land: Present-Day Use of Land in the Bedias Creek-Trinity River Confluence

Many emancipated slaves struggled to earn a living after the Civil War and often became sharecroppers, or farm tenants. They rented land from the owners and paid for it and their expenses with their share of the crop receipts, which kept many in poverty. This image shows a group of black sharecroppers in the early twentieth century. Many emancipated former slaves became sharecroppers, including those who worked cotton plantations in Walker County and across East Texas. The opportunity to earn a better living led many to leave the rural area for higher paying jobs in the oil, gas and forestry sectors. | Creator: Unknown. | Date: Early 20th Century. | Source: Obtained from The Bullock Musuem's "The African American Story" Collection. https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/discover/campfire-stories/african-americans. Original image courtesy of the Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin. | Rights: Image available on the Internet and included in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 (for instructional use).

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Creator

Unknown.

Source

Obtained from The Bullock Musuem's "The African American Story" Collection. https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/discover/campfire-stories/african-americans. Original image courtesy of the Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.

Date

Early 20th Century.

Rights

Image available on the Internet and included in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 (for instructional use).

"A black sharecropper family picking cotton in the early 20th Century. Many emancipated former slaves became sharecroppers, including those who worked on cotton plantations in Walker County and across East Texas. Many left the rural farm setting for higher paying jobs offered by the rise of the oil, gas and forestry industries. " appears in: Changes in the Land: Present-Day Use of Land in the Bedias Creek-Trinity River Confluence